Edward Snowden leaked a secret NSA program called PRISM that allows them to monitor domestic activities. It potentially has access to data stored in top Internet sites and other digital domains. That data is stored filtered and acted upon. The active word is stored. How much data is copied and with what frequency is moved into storage for use is unknown. The totality of sources being polled is unknown. What is known is that there is a lot of personal data collected and stored about you that were not informed was being collected.
Informed consent and a change in Privacy rules are what most people seem to be concerned about. Broadly, Informed Consent means you've had a dialogue directly with a person responsible for the ongoing activities and you've been told of all the facts and circumstances as to why and when some action will occur. As an example Informed Consent plays a key role in the medical world, particularly when the treatment (or intervention as they are known) may have life altering consequences. That discussion comes along with an assumed Privacy that seems to be lacking from Prism.
This type of data collection has been ongoing and will only continue to accelerate as more companies put their "Big Data" plans into effect. Consumer credit agencies (e.g., TransUnion, Equifax) have collected publicly available information for decades; you might be surprised at what information they have stored. They know not only where you've lived for the last 20 years but also who your neighbors where even if you lived in an apartment building. Nothing prevents that information from being requested and used by government agencies. You didn’t have have "informed consent" in those circumstances because it’s considered “public information.”
However, data by itself is not intelligent. There are equal parts rules and tools in order for data to become actionable information. Government and individuals control or influence the rules of how your personal data is used. In the US we control government by voting in other citizens we feel are qualified and responsible to act on our behalf. However once data is stored, the rules (laws) may change over time. That means data collected at one point in time may have only been "actionable" under certain circumstances. With new laws, what is actionable and when can change.
This particular genie is already out of the bottle and has been for some time. Individuals and groups (organizations, businesses, governments) have a strategy to manage their holistic identity. In order for you to curate that identity your understanding of Privacy and Security must change.
(Uncover) Why do We Care About Security and Privacy?
We first need to Uncover, or ask what we mean by Privacy and Security, before we can understand the issue being created. Definitions of Security and Privacy are often interwoven with one another.
Broadly, Privacy is the quality or state of being apart from company or observation. The application of privacy varies between world cultures and countries. However, I believe there are many common elements to privacy. I am applying a broad definition and dissecting the components for purposes of this article. Cultural norms of when privacy is appropriate differ but the definition stays the same. The concept of being apart may refer to an individual, a group (business, private organization), or a government. Collectively, these are being called entities. Privacy is very internal matter and entities rely on it to ease stress from being observed. Key here is that Privacy cannot be subdivided (e.g., only one division of a business) for these entities nor can it be extended to others. One entity may only choose to honor the privacy of another entity. Privacy is something you must choose for yourself (or your business) but you cannot enforce privacy on another.
Security is defined as a barrier between an asset and harm. For the purposes of this discussion, assets are the same as entities and extend that to objects (physical (e.g., jewelry) or virtual (e.g., a bank account). Barriers may be physical (locked door), virtual (firewall) or a psychological deterrent (i.e., the fear of harm by crossing said barrier). Entities may extend security to others. For example, a parent may create a barrier (e.g., car seat, Internet firewall) to secure a child. Harm is anything that disrupts the natural order of the asset. Harm may be physical, psychological or virtual (e.g., deleting a file).
For the most part in American society, security only comes into conscious thought when it interferes in our daily routines. It’s only when harm occurs (e.g., victims at the Boston Marathon) do most of us think about it. It’s then that it becomes the topic family dinner and social conversation. We want to know we are secure but often aren’t proactive about it. Other countries and cultures have had different experiences and policies. Programs such as PRISM are supposed to add to our Security by turning data into information.
We all want to feel secure. However, it’s when our Privacy is eroded to do we react negatively. Privacy is something we think about all the time, whether it is covering the pin pad of an ATM machine, using the restroom or the stranger standing behind us when we read our email in line at Starbucks.
In the past, privacy was easier. In early days you could simply move farther away from others. Today privacy is eroding thus we must change our notions of it. With expansion of population our physical proximity grows closer and that will continue to increase. There are simple and easy to use tools that uncover our whereabouts or personal information making it trivial to intrude on our Privacy. As individuals we don’t help the situation either. The use of any modern communication network leaves digital footprints and our broadcasting of “likes,” “check-ins” and social media posts, texts, credit card use, and dozens of other activities leaves more and more of a digital trail.
We care about security because it protects us from harm but once in place, we generally don’t want to think about it. Regardless of the country, it becomes a way of life and passes from conscious thought (to different degrees in different places). Recognizing that our privacy is eroding makes us feel exposed and vulnerable.
(Examine) What's the Net Impact on Individuals and Society?
Edward Snowden brought to light that Privacy is being eroded, presumably in the name of Security. He has illustrated that the US government had failed on Informed Consent. Without full disclosure by to all parties, doubt has been sown in the fertile field of popular media. Regardless of whether an entity has something to hide, this news created that exposed and vulnerable feeling. It’s a clear indication that the rules for data collection have changed. Among those changes, informed consent was thrown out the window. Without full and clear disclosure of how the rules and tools are being used on the data, entities speculate on what is being done, how it’s being used. The rumors look like something from a Hollywood thriller.
This makes legitimate efforts more difficult because entities will question the behind the scenes motives.
(Prepare) What Can You Do to Curate Your Privacy and Identity?
Everything begins with memory. In today’s frenzy of data collection websites, Big Data initiatives and analytics your activities are being remembered and stored. How can an individual or group maintain privacy? In our modern age, tracking individuals or newly opened business starts even before “birth.” Individuals and groups must curate the way their personal and social memory is presented. Memories and experiences are generally shared because we are social creatures. We choose to live together and share our experiences. This becomes the challenge and opportunity as our identities become more social. How others remember us becomes based on our actions and patterns. The recent events will likely cause people to be more conscious of their Privacy and how they share information. Gen Zs and Millennials, raised in an Internet society are naturally more precise about how they share personal data.
Every entity must learn to curate what their Social Identity. Social Identity is how the world perceives an entity. In the past that audience might have been limited or filtered to a select few. No more, social media is the great equalizer and spreads the word fast. Some might call this your brand. Regardless of the naming, data is being collected and directed for use about you. You are being watched and talked about, so what can you do about it?
There are six elements of a person, group or government’s Social Identity:
This is just a sample of how to manage your Social Identity. More will come in future articles.
(Satisfy) What Does Your Future Hold?
Uncovering PRISM was just the beginning. Your ability to manage your Privacy and Identity and thus influence policy is just beginning. The evolution of personal data management is coming to whole world.
Big Data and Data Privacy will be key themes for the 2016 US Presidential election. Look for the parties to begin adopting points-of-view in the next 90 days. The good news is that you and your business have the opportunity to adapt to change.
In the coming months your greatest opportunity for transformation is curating “The Big Data of You.” You can get involved. Write to me and let me know what are your big concerns.
Lawrence I. Lerner (President LLBC, LLC) is a globally recognized change management thought leader and practitioner. Follow him on Twitter at @RevInnovator.